I remain in ICU for 18 days and then they did surgery on my neck. The accident left me paralyzed from the chest down and from the elbows down no finger or wrist movement and classified me as a C-4-5 quadriplegic and at that point my new life began. I had no insurance so no hospital really wanted to keep me and my rehab lasted three months and I was sent home to try to figure out life.
Since I was a doer I was having a hard time setting in the house with no real access to go anywhere. I started working with division of vocational rehabilitation to maybe go back to school since I only had a high school education. After two weeks in a high school refresher course the instructor told me I should just decide on what I want to do and go do it and that I did not need this course. So at that point I had no idea what I wanted to do until one day at the pharmacists there was a school offering a free trip to Seattle and watch a Mariners game stay overnight downtown Seattle and tour the school. After doing so I decided I wanted to go to the school and enter into their project entry computer programming course. I had some challenges to overcome because the school was in Seattle Washington and Idaho division of vocational rehabilitation only sponsored schools in Idaho. With some help from a friend I was able to work through the loopholes and go to school. I did well in school and completed the 10 month course and the two months of internship. In July 1987 I started my first job was at Seattle Seafirst Bank as an intern then in September 1987 I took a temporary job at the Boeing Company. The temporary job turned into full-time job and I excelled in my new surroundings. In October 1988 I was named Idaho State Rehabilitation Person of the Year and in December 1988 I was name the Boeing Defense and Space Employee of the Year.
In 1989 by wife of 16 years decided to choose and alternate lifestyle and left me to raise our then 13-year-old son. She was my ride to work and my attendant and I was not sure of what would happen next. I talked to management at the Boeing Company and they stated there’s no way you’re going to quit this job and with the help of coworkers I had a ride to work and I was able to train a friend to do my morning and evening care.
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